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The Kingdom of Silverthorne Wiki
Kingdom of Silverthorne The primary nation in which most players reside. Also the highest level of government, named after its ruling Royal Family and its capital city. It was founded 300 years ago in revolution from an ancient, oppressive empire by the first King Silverthorne. The government is highly localist and honor based, with policies to encourage decision-making at the lowest appropriate levels for day-to-day matters. The people are Human, but large numbers of Gnomes, Guthrie, Valken'Vi, and Elves live within its borders as well. Relations between these groups varies greatly from place to place, ranging from neighborly acceptance to mistrust or hostility. The Social Class System of the Kingdom keeps order and stability, a trait highly valued by the culture. Administration The kingdom is ruled by the young Queen Jahanna Silverthorne and her Royal Family. She recently ascended to the throne and it has sparked a violent secession crisis with the riverland region of Dorchak. The Kingdom of Silverthorne is divided into number of provinces called Duchies. Each are ruled by a Duke or Duchess, and any of their children inherit the title of Count or Countess. A Duchy is divided further into states called Baronies, each ruled by a Baron or Baroness. Any of their children inherit the title of Lord or Lady. A Barony is divided into counties called Thanedoms, each ruled by a Thane. Any of their children inherit the title of Gentlefolk, though not necessarily Nobility. Geography The kingdom’s center is a huge, fertile valley, nestled between two ancient and mysterious mountain ranges. River systems throughout this heartland feed lakes and underground water systems alike. All waters, strong but gentle, flow into the great sea towards the south, supercharging trade and economic power along their shores. These calm, amiable fields are fertile enough to feed the whole kingdom with their vegetables and grains. The economy for the centerlands relies on the growing, storing, and transportation of food. The west border is a sloping, maze-like network of old mountains, crackling with dangerous power. The Chaos Mountains are an ever changing wall which protects the back of the Kingdom from the terrors that lie beyond: great hordes of undead and gigantic sand monsters patrol the scorching Sea of Dust. All who live in the shadow of this mountain range are quite used to supernatural dangers, and understand very well how often whole hamlets vanish into the folds of these hills, never to be seen again. Into the north stretches a vast, alternating expanse of rocky thin-soiled grassland and impenetrable, dark forest. This huge, rugged country yields poor farming results and dangerous travel. The incredibly long border has few natural defenses and lengthy communication delays, leaving the hardened people of this land to fend for themselves against the marauding barbarians that strike from beyond the ghost and goblin-infested forests. The former Kingdom of Caledonia, to the east, was very recently added to the Kingdom of Silverthorn. It is now its own Duchy run by Duke Nilock Campbell - formerly His Majesty King Nilock Campbell. Caledonians are a hardy people, independent and stubborn. They have always been close allies to the Dwarves, and many share their sense of honor. Most of the meager economy in their region revolves around tough herd animals that produce wool as well as milk and meats for their people. The east fringes spill up against a solid wall of gray mountain stone: Dorchak, the great border of the Dwarven Homelands. The grim denizens of this densely-wooded riverland are warriors and crafters, forced to regularly defend themselves against vicious Orc raiding parties from beyond the snowy peaks to the east. Minerals from the mountains, lumber from the usually-benign woods, and abundant water power from the countless rivers and tributaries has turned this region into a military stronghold, self-sufficient in all things except food. Currently lead by self-proclaimed King Kendall, this region is in open rebellion against the Kingdom for its own freedom after the young Queen Jahanna Silverthorne took the throne. The south-central coasts bustle with trade, including both raw materials and fine luxury goods. The seaside is covered with huge masonwork ports and small natural harbor towns alike. There is unbelievable wealth in the region, leading to its coastal roads being of the highest quality. The seaways, however, are what truly connect this region. Its unity gives it the strength it needs to face the brutal and seemingly-supernatural pirates that sometimes ply the thick mists rolling in from the horizon. The folk who call this place home are the most well-to-do bureaucrats, currently sharing the heights of Phantaran civilization. Farthest to the southwest, there is great semi-arid grassland. This place is the homeland to the Southern Tribesfolk, and the region lacks a lot of development the rest of Silverthorne would find standard. Few roads or settlements dot this dry, dusty landscape. The law isn't there yet in a traditional sense, but the local barbarians take their oaths to their chieftains very seriously. The various tribes of the south were united decades ago by Baron Galen Campbell, who now rules the land as its own Barony, loyal to and a part of Silverthorne. History For centuries before Silverthorne and its neighbors existed, a vast single state called The Mageocracy ruled the continent. History has recorded it as an oppressive and dogmatic society where station was determined and enforced by violence and magic. 300 years ago, King Johan Silverthorne I rose up and lead a revolution against this state. The successful revolution fractured the old Mageocracy and secured sovereignty for his new kingdom and a new political world for the mortal races of the region. Over the next 150 years, tensions grew between the Old Mages of the powerful Mageocracy and the new, more stable system of Socio-Mercantilistic Feudalism that Silverthorne was experimenting with. To maintain peace between the old and new ways, the Kingdom created The Mages' Guild. It was established to formally acknowledge mages' social place in a more stable way, but also to monitor them, ensuring the security of the young nation against any who would try to re-establish the Mageocracy. Finally, things boiled over. A group of pro-Mageocracy rebels gathered enough support to openly revolt against the Kingdom. The war, later called the Mage War of Tarragon, broke out and covered the whole southwest of the country. This Mageocratic rebellion threatened the stability of the new world, but was eventually beaten back and put down successfully, thanks in large part to the growing wealth and power of the Guilds. This conflict sewed the seeds of mistrust for mages even deeper, and Silverthorne adopted many stricter policies to limit the power of magic-wielders. Mages could no longer be Nobles, the authority of The Mages' Guild was stripped out in favor of the new House Toevass, and the power granted to the Mage Hunters of DeVris was greatly increased. This event had lasting effects on forging Silverthorne society into what it is today. The next 150 years continued to see the meteoric rise of the Guilds: a fledgling merchant middle class capable of punching well above their weight. The Guilds were established to regulate their specific industries across the lands and seas, as well as administer their Charters from above in the Kingdom. The newfound strength of the Guilds has lead to a renaissance of wealth and power for Silverthorne, eventually making it the most powerful nation in the known world. It was able to dominate the politics of the region, securing strong, defensive alliances with the other nearby nations, Alleria, Caledonia, Windcrest, and The Dwarven Homelands. Within the last few decades, the nation has once again been thrust into turmoil. The last King, His Majesty King Johan Silverthorne III, was publicly assassinated in an incredibly destabilizing move by criminal underworld elements. This left a tiny princess and a Royal Family Council in control of the Kingdom. While under this tenuous rule, a massive Orc horde invaded and threatened to completely destroy the Duchy of Dorchak. The Duchy survived, but was changed forever. It became a bitter, deeply scarred, militaristic stronghold. When the princess ascended to the throne and became Queen Johanna Silverthorne I, she declared one of the Kingdom's priorities would be to secure better relations with the non-human inhabitants of the land, as well as to aid the battered neighboring Kingdoms of Caledonia and The Dwarven Homelands. This set off a complicated chain of broken oaths and legal gray areas, which historians will study for decades to come, that strains the nation's relationships with its neighbors. Caledonia has been annexed by Silverthorne, becoming its fifth Duchy. The Duchy of Dorchak has declared independence, and has been labeled an illegitimate rebellion by the Queen. All sides position their armies towards the coming battle for supremacy. This chaos has culminated in an environment of revolution, yet renaissance - setting the stage for The Kingdom of Silverthorne we know today. A rough map of the Kingdom and its geopolitical boundaries. Duchies * Silverthorne, Duchy of ** Pellin, Barony of ** Gateway ** Castellion * Bonnifus ** Da'Thannis, Barony of * Caledonia ** Argyle, Barony of ** Skara Brae, Barony of * Susspin ** Tarragon, Barony of ** Ironguard, Barony of ** Vannaphasauk, Barony of * Gilbain ** Kodiak, Barony of ** Meterwyn, Barony of Category:Browse